


Along Came Annie

by objectsinspace



Category: Lost
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-10
Updated: 2014-11-10
Packaged: 2018-02-24 20:14:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2595023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/objectsinspace/pseuds/objectsinspace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This tells the story of Annie and Ben, what happened to Annie, and why Juliet was chosen to come to the island.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Good News, Bad News

"Annie? I'm home for the day!" Ben practically ran into his house out of excitement. He shouted for his fiancee, but no answer came from anywhere in the house. "Annie?" he shouted once more. Now, he was beginning to get worried. Ben searched throughout the house, until he found Annie asleep on their bed-- _their_ bed. Calling this house "theirs" was going to take some getting used to. After Ben had proposed to his love, which was two weeks ago, he asked her to move in with him. Roger Linus, Ben's father, didn't like the idea of Ben marrying so young, but Ben never cared about what his father thought of him. In fact, he hated his father with a passion. Ben smiled at Annie and sat down beside her still and peaceful body. He stroked her sandy brown hair with his hand ever-so-gently, trying not to wake her up, but she rolled over and opened her eyes. 

"Hey, Ben," she whispered, closing her eyes again.

Ben noticed dried tears tracing her rosy cheeks and his happy face melted into confusion. "Annie, why were you crying? Is everything okay?"

Annie opened her eyes again and sat up. Avoiding Ben's question, she asked one of her own. "Why are you home so early, babe? I thought today was a busy day." 

"Horace said I could take the day off," he smiled. 

"Happy birthday, Ben," Annie leaned over and pressed her lips to his. "I love you." She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up straight next to Ben. Annie rubbed her eyes as she spoke. "I'm sorry I wasn't awake when you left this morning. I was just so tired I-"

"Annie, why were you crying?" Ben interrupted. He sounded more serious than when he first asked. Although he was worried about her, he began to feel frustrated when she dodged the question. 

Annie frowned and stared at the carpet. Her hand slipped slowly into Ben's and she held it tightly. "Ben... I need to tell you something." She adjusted herself so that she could face him, and Ben did the same. "I have good news and potentially, some bad news."

Ben's eyebrows knitted together out of concern. He wanted to say something comforting, but he chose to sit quietly until she told him what was wrong. "The good news is, um, Ben.. I am pregnant." Annie smiled happily, but more tears formed in her eyes. 

Ben, on the other hand, practically jumped from the bed in excitement. "What? Really? Annie, that's... that's great! I thought you were crying because something bad happened, but... I'm gonna be a dad!" Ben kissed her cheek, but felt her tears on his lips as he pulled away. "Why are you still crying?" he asked.

Annie was holding back loud sobs, and she managed to get the bad news out. "Because, Ben. Someone drove me to the medical station today and told me that I wouldn't live. They said that two other woman died from the same reason while pregnant and they said it was bound to happen to me, too. They said I wouldn't pass my second trimester. That's six months, Ben. They told me I was gonna die." Annie sobbed loudly, and Ben tried to calm her down, worried that the neighbors would hear. 

"Annie listen to me," Ben gripped her shoulders and stared deeply into her soft blue eyes. Annie didn't stop sobbing. "You need to listen to me, okay? You are  _not_ going to die, you understand me. It happened to two women. Only two. But I will never let anything happen to you, Annie. I promise." 

Annie continued to cry and Ben held her close. She nuzzled her head into his chest and he whispered frantically, "it's going to be okay, it's going to be okay." In reality, though, he wasn't sure it really _was_ going to be okay. If Annie really was going to pass, as well as his unborn child, Ben had to do something about it. 

 

And he knew the exact person to go to for help.


	2. Denied, Once Again

It was about five in the morning when Ben set off to find his people on the other side. he took one of the Dharma vans, of course, to make sure he got back in time when Annie woke up. Yesterday was a difficult time for her both mentally and physically. Her morning sickness started shortly after she told me the news. On top of that, she was paranoid about soon meeting her demise. "Some birthday," Ben muttered as he drove. Once he reached the pylons, he quickly got out of the car, entered the code, and drove over the line that divided Dharmaville and "Hostile territory".

The Hostiles. 

Ben knew it wasn't all that appropriate of a name for those people, after all, they were much more sophisticated and admirable than the Dharma Initiative was, but the Initiative insisted that the natives were savages. But Ben knew otherwise. Which is why he asked to join them in the first place. What's disgusting is, once the Initiative found out about the Island's original inhabitants, they never thought to make peace with them. Their initial instinct was to fight these people. The Hostile's leader, Richard Alpert, never resorted to fighting unless he had to or was forced to. In truth, the DI were the savages. The Hostiles were only doing what they needed to do to survive. 

Ben drove for a few minutes before being stopped by three men with assault rifles pointed straight at his windshield. "Stop!" one man shouted to him. "You're over the line. You've violated the truce."

Ben stuck his head and both hands out of the van window. "It's me. Benjamin Linus. I'm only here to see Richard." 

Before the men could put their guns down, another man came out from behind the treeline and walked towards the van. This time, the face was a familiar one. "Hello, Benjamin," his thick British accent coding each word.

"Hello, Charles," Ben replied, but his plain expression didn't change. 

"Why have you come this time?

Ben put his hands down and stared ahead at the armed men. Now that Charles was here, the rest of the Hostiles wouldn't dare to hurt Ben. "I'm here to discuss some... business with Richard."

Charles let out a light chuckle. "Of course," he replied. "But you'll have to get out and walk from here."

"I figured," Ben sighed. He opened the door and stepped carefully out of the van. "How much further?"

Charles shook his head. "Not far."

*************************************************

"I thought you said camp wasn't far," Ben muttered after about two hours of walking. 

"If I told you the camp was a few hours away, you wouldn't have left your van." 

Ben sighed. "For the situation I'm in," he said, looking over at Charles, "I would have crawled to your camp."

Charles eyes widened in amusement. "Well. This must be quite the... situation. Mind telling me what it is?"

"Only Richard can help me, Charles. Sorry."

But Ben was lying. For one, he didn't trust Charles with merely any information, especially personal information. But Ben knew Richard alone couldn't help him with Annie's issue. Richard couldn't save anyone, for that matter. But someone else could. Someone higher than any other authority on this island--but only Richard knew how to get there. 

Once they reached the camp, Charles entered first with the armed men walking behind Ben to make sure no one would shoot at him. If Ben were to enter by himself, they would have immediately shot him when they saw the Dharma logo on his jumpsuit. "Wait here," Charles said as he entered what seemed like the largest tent in the entire camp. After a few minutes, a man split the tent flaps and walked outside. 

"Hello, Benjamin," he smiled.

"Hello, Richard. It's good to see you." Ben stuck out a friendly hand and Richard gripped it tightly. 

"Charles told me you have some business to discuss with me. Why don't you join me inside?" Richard motioned towards his tent. 

Ben nodded once. "Of course."

He followed Richard into the tent and watched as the tent closed. The only light inside was a single lantern whose flame was to burn out any second. Ben sat down on a wooden crate and folded his hands in his lap patiently. 

"Would you like some water?" Richard offered, still standing. 

"Yes, please. Charles left out that you had moved your camp to a much farther and deserted place."

Richard chuckled. "Yeah, well, you can never be too cautious." He poured some water into a tin cup for his guest, then one for himself. "So, Ben," he said while handing him the cup. "What can I do for you?"

Ben took a small sip and cleared his throat. "I have a sort of situation that I need assistance with. It's about Annie."

Richard smiled. "Oh, how is she doing?"

Ben shrugged. "She's doing... alright. I proposed to her a few weeks ago, and she said yes."

"Congratulations, Ben. I'm very happy for you two." Richard patted his shoulder.

"Why, thank you, Richard. But that's not what I came to tell you about. I'm afraid I have some other news that I need you to help me with." Richard waited for him to speak, but Ben didn't quite know how to start the conversation. "...Today. Annie told me some other news. She told me she was pregnant."

Richard's smile slowly melted into a look of something short of devastation, but he forced his smile back on. "Oh, Ben. That's... that's amazing. Y-you're gonna be a dad. Congratulations." 

Ben scoffed and looked down at his half-empty cup. "Richard, you and I both know that's nothing to be happy about." He looked up and stared Richard straight in the eyes. "I'm just going to get straight to the point here. Pregnant women die on this island. I know it, and so do you, Richard. Isn't that why you sent Eloise off the island?"

Richard shook his head. "No, I sent Eli off the island because her and Charles didn't want to have anything to do with each other."

"Please don't lie for the sake of my emotional stability," Ben rubbed his temples out of frustration. "I need your help. Please, Richard. The love of my life and my unborn child are going to die." 

Richard threw his arms up in the air and slammed them down on his thighs. "Okay, Ben. But what do you expect me to do? I can't save her. So unless you have another plan I suggest yo-"

"Take me to see Jacob." Ben stared intently at Richard waiting for an answer. The reason he didn't say that in the beginning was because he knew the rule: No one sees Jacob unless he invites them. The only person who has ever seen Jacob was Richard. Richard acted as a sort of representative for Jacob--he would give Richard a list of instructions to have his people follow. If anyone could save Annie and the child's life, it was Jacob, and only Jacob. 

Richard stared back at Ben with mocking eyes. he laughed hysterically and stood up off his seat. "You're serious, Ben? You think Jacob is going to help you? You don't even know where to find him."

"Yes, but that's where you come in, Richard. I don't know where to find Jacob. But you do."  
Richard waved a hand in Ben's face. "No. Absolutely not. Jacob isn't just a person you come and see. You have to be invited. And Ben, you aren't ready to see-"

Ben jumped up and gripped Richard by the shoulders. "Please. I am begging you. Annie is going to die. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for something good to happen in my life and it finally happens and it's going to be taken away." Richard saw tears forming at the corners of Ben's eyes, but Ben was trying his hardest to hold them back because although this was a heart-wrenching situation that could alter his life forever, he didn't want to be perceived as weak. 

"Ben, please, just-just calm down. We can figure something out, I'm sure," Richard said. He put up his hands in attempted surrender. 

Ben released him from his grip and sat back down on the crate. "Can you at least tell me why you can't take me to see him?"

"No one comes to see Jacob. Absolutely no one. Do you know what controversy this would stir up with my people? Letting them know I took someone from the Dharma Initiative to see Jacob? They'd crucify me." Richard placed his hands on his hips. "Besides," he added, "you're not ready."

Ben's eyebrows knitted together. "'Not ready?' I have done everything you've asked me in order to become the next leader of your people, and you're telling me I'm not ready to meet Jacob, a man who I'm devoting my entire life and future to?" 

"What lies in the shadow of the statue?" Richard asked.

"What? What statue? What are you talking about? I don't have time for your silly questions, Richard, I need to ask Jacob to spare Annie's life." 

Richard leaned down and put a hand on Ben's shoulder. "You're not ready, Ben. And I'm sorry about Annie. I truly am. But do yourself a favor. Go back. Go back and be with her while you still can. Pregnant women die on this island, Ben, and I-I don't know why. Who knows? Maybe someone in the Initiative knows. But you have to go. I can't take you to Jacob. I just... I can't. I'm sorry." 

Ben stared straight through Richard's harsh eye contact. At that moment, he wondered if Jacob was even a real person or whether he actually cared about him or anyone else in this camp who followed in his footsteps. But Ben had no choice but to leave. As much as he hated being denied of help, he respected Richard and his decision. 

At that, Ben stood up, said thank you for the hospitality, then turned to walk out of the tent. Before he could step out, Richard stopped him, and said, "Ben. You also must realize that if you are going to be the leader of these people, you're going to have to make difficult decisions and sacrifices for the sake of the island. You can't always be asking me for help. Even when you're the leader, you can't see Jacob. Only I can."

Ben turned to face Richard and smirked. "We'll see about that."


End file.
